“Promise me you’ll always remember you’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
– Christopher Robin to Pooh

A few of our favorite things

Bodytribe exists in constant change. From the strength, performance and body composition of individual members to the topographical landscape of the gym itself, the tribe is in flux. Although it is never boring, it always a little weird.

Part of this change is the continual expansion of the our brand of silliness to new places around the globe. This month Austin and Phoenix, and over the next few months, our Brutal Recess workshops are traveling through cities across the U.S..

It feels like time to catch up a little. With new members constantly flowing in, a small roster of new apprentices beginning their twisted journey with us and a steady stream of new friends around the globe, it might be necessary to compile a small list of essential reading – a Bodytribe Primer, if you will – for folks who want to dip a little into what we babble on about all the time.

Quick summary of the majority of what you’re about to read (if you dare click on the links below):

That’s a start. An ever growing tribe of contemplative, moving strength addicts is more fun than I’d ever imagined (and I’ve imagined some serious fun, like eating ice cream on a rollercoaster), and I thank you all for being a part of our family.

I was reading in Arthur Jones original classic bodybuilding books that they used to do Standing Presses instead of the clean and jerk. Did lifters still clean the weight in the same fashion, and is the form for the press different at all from the military press? Do you include this exercise in your tribe?

There were three official Olympic Lifts from 1928 through 1972: clean and jerk, the press (which also included a clean), and the snatch. Simply put, get the most weight over your head three different ways…

explosively
strict
from the ground in one movement

The press was eliminated in competition because the judging had become lax and the press had become less than strict, and considerably dangerous. Hence the two lift sport we have now.

Heck, in the 50’s instead of asking how much one benched, the common gym greeting would be “how much do ya press?”